The Camp Out
by Sareliz the Nobody
Summary: After getting Lucy back, Sarah returns to spend time with Zeref and Fairy Tail's members. They go on a camping trip while Sarah tries to mend Zeref and Natsu's relationship.
1. Being Prepared

Sarah sat on a chair in her own apartment she'd rented herself. Ever since she brought Lucy back and found a way back into Fiore, she didn't ever want to be in Lucy's apartment ever. Well, she didn't want to feel like she owned it and have Lucy disappear all over again.

Across from her was Zeref, the Black Wizard who was sitting on a chair just like hers. They were planning a camping trip somewhere out in Fiore.

"So Zeref, you want to go camping with me? Do you even know what camping is?" asked Sarah, making sure he knew.

Zeref nods. "It's where you're outside making campfires and sleeping under the stars." he replied.

"Good. Or you could sleep in a tent or find a cave to be sheltered from bad weather." added Sarah.

"I'd prefer sleeping under the stars." said a familiar voice. Sarah and Zeref looked toward where the voice had come from and saw Natsu standing by the window. He had his arms folded and acted interested in their conversation.

"Did you come in through the window again, Natsu?" asked Sarah. Ever since she'd gotten her own apartment here, Natsu had started confusing her place for Lucy's.

"Yeah. What's this about camping? Are you guys going on a campout?" Natsu replied with questions of his own.

Zeref stood up to face his brother. "Yeah. We're going on a campout and you're not invited." he said.

Natsu just stared at him, barely even moved by Zeref's words. "It's not like I wanted to come with you, but since you said that I'm going to go on my own campout and I'm inviting Lucy and Happy to come with me and not you!" said Natsu angrily before climbing out the window to leave.

Zeref sat back down in his chair. "Let's hope we don't end up camping in the same spot as them." he said.

Sarah looked at him and sighed. "Are you jealous of Natsu, Zeref?" she asked.

Zeref looked nervously at her. "Uh, no…why would I be?" he replied.

"Just checking." said Sarah with a smile.

Zeref sighed with relief. "Anyways, back to camping. We'll need food and water, blankets and bedrolls, and a nice place to make camp." he listed off everything they needed for their campout.

"What about fire starter?" asked Sarah.

"That will be out in the woods. Hopefully we'll be camped near the woods." he replied.

"With Natsu, making a fire would be easy."

"Yes, but he's not coming with us."

"Oh, come on! I know in your heart that you love him and his magic."

"I'm not going to admit to that." He turned his head away as if he didn't want to talk about it.

"Come on! You love your brother." She kept urging him to release his true feelings for Natsu until…

"ENOUGH!" he screamed in frustration. She had succeeded in angering him instead. Staying silent, she listened to him lecturing her on doing what she did.

Sarah sighed in exasperation. "Jeez, Zeref. You could have just asked me nicely to stop." she said.

Zeref sat there, face red with embarrassment. Sarah just looked at him and smiled. There would be moments when she would catch Zeref hiding his true feelings and thoughts about things/people. She wondered if he would ever catch her.

"Back to camping. We could camp in a forest near Magnolia or Hargeon." said Sarah, changing the subject.

"But we can't risk having Natsu camp there also." Zeref said, forgetting the embarrassed feeling he had earlier.

Sarah sighed yet again. _Did he always have to think about where Natsu was? They are brothers but they act like they hate each other so much. I know there's love for Natsu in Zeref, but the problem is trying to release that love._ When it came to this, she'd always think of Natsu's and Zeref's relationship together. She would have to figure it out later, though. Now, she was planning to go camping with Zeref.

"Let's go to the guild and hang out there just in case Natsu shows up there with Lucy and Happy. Then we could overhear them talk about where they're going camping." suggested Sarah instead of teasing him about his relationship with his brother.

Zeref stared at her, trying to read her. "You're not going to tease me about that, are you? My lecturing has paid off!" he said happily.

"Actually, your voice was really loud and you were angry. It kind of scared me." admitted Sarah.

Zeref felt bad when she said that. "I'll try not to be angry with you, but you've got to promise me you'll never tease me about my brother ever again." he said.

"I promise. Yours and your brother's relationship is kept only between the two of you. But I know you love him. He is your brother, Zeref." Sarah promised with one last remark.

Zeref cringed at that. He did love his brother, but that only existed between the both of them. _The problem is, does Natsu love me back?_ He always thought that whenever he faced his brother.

"I guess you can say that I do. I love Natsu, that younger yet vibrant brother of mine." said Zeref, truthfully.

Sarah smiled. She knew she'd get him to admit his love for his brother even though it took her a while. She stood up, ready to go. "Come on. If we're going to the guild hall, then we'd better get going now before all the good seats are taken." she said.

Zeref stood up after her and walked to the door. "Then we'd better get there fast." he said, opening the door. They left the apartment and headed to the guild hall.


	2. A Place to Call Camp

The guild hall. A place of warmth and welcoming. A place where friendships are made and sorrow is ended. This is the guild that made Sarah happy because everyone was her friend here. They were all family to each other. They cheered up people who were down, made others feel loved when they were hated, and never gave up on you if you were in peril or needed help with something. This was family and Sarah loved it.

As Sarah entered the guild hall with Zeref, she looked over at a table to see Natsu arguing with Gray. He had Happy with him.

"No Gray. You can't come on the camping trip with me. It'll only be me, Happy, and Lucy." said Natsu frustratingly.

"Come on. There's something in those mountains that I want to see and the only trip that'll get me up there is by going camping with you." explained Gray.

Natsu looked around the room, his eyes searching for something until he found what he was looking for. His eyes were on Zeref and Sarah. "If you want to go to the mountains Gray, ask Zeref and Sarah. They're going on a camping trip too." he said, pointing at where Sarah and Zeref stood.

Gray walked up to them, eying Zeref. Most of the members of Fairy Tail didn't quite trust him yet.

"Natsu says that you're going camping. Is this true?" said Gray, making sure Natsu wasn't lying.

"Yes, but we're not camping out in the mountains. Is Natsu planning on camping there?" replied Sarah along with her own question.

"Yeah. Someplace like that." replied Gray, "If you're not camping in the mountains, where are you going then?"

Zeref cautioned Sarah not to say it aloud for fear Natsu might hear it. So she leaned in close to Gray's ear and whispered, "We're camping out in the woods not far from here." After she finished telling Gray, she stepped away from him. She looks at Zeref as if telling him, _Happy now?_ He looks at her and smiles.

Natsu walks over to them with Happy flying next to him. "Hey Nasune." Natsu greeted Sarah with a new name.

"Natsu, my name isn't Nasune. It's Sarah, remember?" she said, a little confused.

"I know, Nasune." He kept calling her that anyways.

 _Why is he calling me that? It's stupid of him to do so._ She thought, _Who is Nasune?_

Zeref puts a hand in front of her. "Why are you calling her that, Natsu?" he asked.

Natsu looks away from Zeref, not wanting to tell him anything. "I don't know. I just called her that for no reason at all." he replied. He regretted not telling Zeref, but he only wanted Sarah to know why he called her that.

Zeref folded his arms and gave Natsu a demeaning look. "Then don't do it again, brother." he said more as a favor than an order.

 _I'm not even sure myself that we're brothers._ Natsu thought before heading toward the exit. "I'm going over to Lucy's place. Don't follow me. I know you're trying to figure out where I, Lucy, and Happy are camping. Let's go Happy." He left with Happy.


End file.
